What is the purpose of the Equinox?

[thekek]

I do not quite understand what justifies the existence of this 2001 variant when you have the 508. Both are 8 port, about 128 decibels, and have a 500 hz sound output.

Not a lot of cities have purchased this model to begin with so why does it even exist in the first place?

I would understand though if they would’ve added more unique features such as a dual tone design. It would at least make it stand out more unlike current American siren models.

[ArxCyberwolf]

The Equinox came out in 2010, and the only reason it was created was because some places such as nuclear plants wanted a siren that was 500hz, or 8-port. ASC had this with the Tempest sirens, but Federal's only option was the Eclipse-8. They basically just slapped an Eclipse-8 rotor into a slightly redesigned 2001 shell and called it a day in order to compete with the Tempests in that market, but the Equinox was majorly flawed because the Eclipse's rotor couldn't draw air properly in the 2001's housing and it performed poorly at only 125db. Federal made the 508-128 in 2011 which solved the Equinox's issues, and I'm guessing they've kept the Equinox around as a special order unit which is cheaper than the 508-128.

TLDR, the Equinox was created out of necessity, and was a flawed design that's only kept around because it's cheaper than the 508 made to replace it.

[thekek]

The Equinox came out in 2010, and the only reason it was created was because some places such as nuclear plants wanted a siren that was 500hz, or 8-port. ASC had this with the Tempest sirens, but Federal's only option was the Eclipse-8. They basically just slapped an Eclipse-8 rotor into a slightly redesigned 2001 shell and called it a day in order to compete with the Tempests in that market, but the Equinox was majorly flawed because the Eclipse's rotor couldn't draw air properly in the 2001's housing and it performed poorly at only 125db. Federal made the 508-128 in 2011 which solved the Equinox's issues, and I'm guessing they've kept the Equinox around as a special order unit which is cheaper than the 508-128.

TLDR, the Equinox was created out of necessity, and was a flawed design that's only kept around because it's cheaper than the 508 made to replace it.

So far I think I only know of one powerplant that has an Equinox system, at least in the US. Other than that, it doesn't seem to be a commercial success imo.

[ArxCyberwolf]

Yeah, it really hasn't been. The 508 performs a lot better, so there's not much reason to go for an Equinox

[DJ2226]

As mentioned before, the siren's existence is mainly because of the now somewhat imploding nuclear market. It's not necessarily a flawed siren by any stretch; more so, it's not quite as efficient as the 508 when it comes to effective use of the sound being produced by the chopper.

The Equinox was a special order siren for a while, but FS officially brought it into the 2001 lineup as a lower-pitched alternative to the 130. It's actually less expensive than the 130 from what I've seen, and depending on the kind of environment you're dealing with it would be a better pick as the lower pitch can allow it to outperform a 130 despite the difference in SPL probably. The 2001-130 can pretty much outperform every modern mile range siren and even older ones like the Thunderbolt at 100 feet, but when you put one up in a valley like where I stay the competition's sirens will outrun them, even with a decent SPL difference since the terrain and tree density will eat the high pitch. That's really where lower-pitched sirens start to shine.

With that said, a lot of the reasoning behind why they don't sell well is simply because dealerships don't push them. For the SPL and price it's more advantageous for them to push the 130 since it's more likely to win bids. The 508 cost more and has a lower SPL, and given that the Equinox is 3 dB lower, it makes it hard to sell even with the lower price tag when compared to a Whelen Vortex or a Sentry 16V1T-B or14V-B. There are more 130s going up than 508s and Equinoxes combined, depending on where you are in the country. The 130 dB rating makes them very competitive. I recently discovered a 508 in my area that was installed within the last year. Almost every FS siren that goes up down here is a 2001, so when I saw it on the Alabama map I about choked and had to confirm it in person. Of course my luck the stupid thing didn't test when I tried to record it on Wednesday.

[thekek]

As mentioned before, the siren's existence is mainly because of the now somewhat imploding nuclear market. It's not necessarily a flawed siren by any stretch; more so, it's not quite as efficient as the 508 when it comes to effective use of the sound being produced by the chopper.

The Equinox was a special order siren for a while, but FS officially brought it into the 2001 lineup as a lower-pitched alternative to the 130. It's actually less expensive than the 130 from what I've seen, and depending on the kind of environment you're dealing with it would be a better pick as the lower pitch can allow it to outperform a 130 despite the difference in SPL probably. The 2001-130 can pretty much outperform every modern mile range siren and even older ones like the Thunderbolt at 100 feet, but when you put one up in a valley like where I stay the competition's sirens will outrun them, even with a decent SPL difference since the terrain and tree density will eat the high pitch. That's really where lower-pitched sirens start to shine.

With that said, a lot of the reasoning behind why they don't sell well is simply because dealerships don't push them. For the SPL and price it's more advantageous for them to push the 130 since it's more likely to win bids. The 508 cost more and has a lower SPL, and given that the Equinox is 3 dB lower, it makes it hard to sell even with the lower price tag when compared to a Whelen Vortex or a Sentry 16V1T-B or14V-B. There are more 130s going up than 508s and Equinoxes combined, depending on where you are in the country. The 130 dB rating makes them very competitive. I recently discovered a 508 in my area that was installed within the last year. Almost every FS siren that goes up down here is a 2001, so when I saw it on the Alabama map I about choked and had to confirm it in person. Of course my luck the stupid thing didn't test when I tried to record it on Wednesday.

Yeah imo they should've went with a new siren design or resurrect an older one with improvements (i.e. the Thunderbolt on steroids to compete with sirens like the T-135).

[Ziginox]

Yeah imo they should've went with a new siren design or resurrect an older one with improvements (i.e. the Thunderbolt on steroids to compete with sirens like the T-135).

They did, it's called the 508. As mentioned, the Equinox was a stopgap made with bits they had laying around to fulfill a specific request.

[Synther]

The equinox was Federal's fast solution to new nuclear plant standards. They have since come out with the 508, but the Equinox has stuck around, because they still sell pretty well. I believe there are a couple nuclear plants using them, but many installations have popped up throughout Ohio, Michgan, and Wisconsin within the past few years.